A Nervous Counsel
by The Twilight Necromancer
Summary: This is my view of what Elrond thought about the chances of MiddleEarth's survival now that the fate of it all rests upon the Fellowship of the Ring's shoulders. Talked over some flaws to them with friends.


Note: Guess this is what was going through a certain person's head when  
he watched the group leave his domain. EH's POV. His views on the hopes  
the world has now that its fate lays resting upon nine people's  
shoulders.  
A Nervous Counsel  
  
Watching the nine of them as they left my kingdom, I have no other real  
choice but to wonder if I am doing the right thing in trusting the fate  
of Middle-Earth to nine souls such as these whom moments ago could not  
get along enough to agree what was to be done with the One Ring.  
  
I can survey each one and their strengths and weaknesses. See within  
their hearts and minds, their souls, and tell how easily they might be  
corrupted were the opportunity for it to ever arise.  
  
They're so young, all but for one of the group, the wizard Gandalf the  
Grey, and have such a lively future ahead of them should they survive  
this quest they must embark on. Voluntarily or not, I don't very much  
rightfully care, the nine of them are in more trouble than I think even  
Gandalf suspects they are.  
  
Taking such a heavy task upon themselves is far too dangerous for any  
normal being. True, the greater the number, the greater the odds of  
survival and success are. But I can't help but wonder if this is the  
right solution. Sending the nine of them off to a possible doom.  
  
It's certain that not all of them will return from their journey. And  
none will return unscathed by injury or the forcive maturing they must  
do during their treck to Mount Doom.  
  
Looking over the nine of them as they stood before me as I proclaimed  
them the Fellowship of the Ring, inwardly I frowned at their odds of  
survival and remaining unchanged by the war at the end of their journey  
together.  
  
Gandalf the Gray Wizard. He no doubt was a fighter, a survivor. He was  
likely the brightest amongst them tied with Aragorn. His wisdom will,  
no doubt, guide the Fellowship through many tough times. He will aid  
them as much as he is capable of during their journey. He may leave the  
group once, however, for a change. But he will beyond a doubt return to  
their aid at the spur of a notice or the first hint of trouble. They  
mostly will need to depend upon his wisdom and plans. But with his own  
sense of humor, his love of insulting the halflings? It will be a true  
miracle that he returns at all if they have anything to say about it,  
despite what friends they become, or not.  
  
Aragorn, son of Arathorn, he is truly brave and willing to take all the  
needed risks to protect the others and see that this mission is done  
right. He is arrogent, yes, but he will prove quite useful when it is  
time for the army to be called forth to aid Gondor. It's a shame I am  
forbidden to inform others of my visions of such degrees until it is  
much closer to time for them to occur, or perhaps I could ease a bit of  
his stress and worry over the journey. He will be king one day, without  
a doubt, and my daughter Arwen will be by his side on that day. However  
I fear his arrogence and subtle ways to suggesting such things as ways  
to reject another's feelings may bring him about to a downfall. This,  
in turn, could be catastrophic to the Fellowship in the end.  
  
On the subject of Boromir, he is truly nice, but he is, unfortunately  
enough, the one most subject to corruption by the One Ring that Frodo  
must take to Mount Doom. He will try to take the One Ring from Frodo  
many times, but prove a valliant and brave soul at the end of his time  
in Middle-Earth. His immense pride and vulnerability to the power of  
the One Ring, however, will end him.  
  
To the matter of Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil the King of lovely  
Mirkwood. His aim is true, his loyalty unwavering. He will be a very  
useful key to the Fellowship with such keen senses as his foresight-  
like intuition and sight. His aim will take down many a foe, but yet he  
also suffers from a strong will of pride, as do many of the others of  
the Fellowship. His need for exquisit hygeine and good hair seems to  
grately outweigh that of his need for paying attention. He will fight  
bravely to the bitter end, and even befriend an unlikely ally, but as  
this is true he has an outstanding chance of causing the Fellowship the  
mission while he may be out bathing.  
  
Gimli, son of Gloin, with his axe in hand. His bravery, despite his  
size, or the lack of it, makes up for both manners and height. He can  
weild his axe like it were a bow and arrow to an Elf, but he makes not  
a good runner. He will slow down the Fellowship greatly, and I feel he  
needs to learn how to handle horses. His respect is somewhat lacking,  
and his appetite could near rival that of a halfling's. Through and  
through, however, Gimli will prove a very good and loyal friend to the  
Fellowship and to Legolas.  
  
Then, there are the four halflings. The hobbits. Meriadoc Brandybuck.  
He is truly loyal to his cousins and the Fellowship, and he along with  
Perigrin Took will prove vital assets to the procedure of the mission.  
Merry is a wonderful example of a hobbit-sized appetite. I have liked  
to come to think of the four as miniature garbage desposals. His trip  
with Eowyn of Rohan to Gondor for battle will prove his bravery and  
willingness to fight for those he loves, and for his home, as well. His  
hunger should likely be his only main downfall.  
  
Perigrin Took. Where this small hobbit is concerned, his curiosity may  
well be the death of the Fellowship completely, yet prove to be the key  
factor to saving Gondor from Sauron's wrath. He and Meriadoc Brandybuck  
are, after all, to be the sole two responsible for Isengard's downfall  
by way of showing Treebeard the damage Saruman has caused. His taste  
for food, as with Merry's, Frodo's, and Samwise's, is far surpassed by  
his bravery that he will display as the Stewart of Gondor's aid and as  
a warrior when Gondor's realm falls under attack.  
  
There is also Samwise Gamgee amongst the Fellowship of the Ring. He has  
a hunger greater than any other I've come to know of or hear of, but  
his loyalty to Frodo will prove the true test of if Middle-Earth is to  
survive this second War of the Ring or not. He will also be tested as  
to the One Ring's power over him, many times indeed, but I have not  
been shown if he will succumb or resist. However, he is swift to judge,  
and especially to the matter of Gollum, though he is truly correct in  
this instance. His swift action to accuse will prove the downfall of a  
large portion of trust to Frodo Baggins.  
  
Last, there is Frodo Baggins himself. The one given the burdon of  
carrying the One Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it, where Isildur could  
not so long ago. He seems the most easily powered by the One Ring, but  
his will is tremendously strong. He will falter many times during his  
journey, and allow his judgement to be clouded by lies and falsehoods.  
Deceptions spun by Gollum, inadvertantly aided by Samwise through his  
rash decisions and accusations. It is on he, alone, that the fate of  
Middle-Earth rests the most. It is he, alone, that we must keep faith  
in the most.  
  
Looking over the nine of them as they exit my domain, leaving Rivendell  
behind them, I know that at least one will not live to return a second  
time, nor to even see his own him another time.  
  
The One Ring is a terrible burdon, one which none should have to bare,  
but it is impossible to circumvent. It must be destroyed, and Frodo  
Baggins alone seems to be the only one truly able to withstand the One  
Ring's powers, though he too, at the same time, is the one that is the  
most susceptible to its awful power.  
  
We are doomed.  
=DMTS= 


End file.
